Space Vacations (30 September)

The reality of space tourism is getting closer each day. The latest estimates from technical experts who are designing orbiting space hotels say that the first functional vehicles could be in orbit as early as 2008. Experts predict that the space tourism industry will grow slowly at first, with prices for short trips up around the $100,000 mark, but competition will cut that price at least in half, and as many as 12,000 tourists per year should be checking into space hotels by 2020.
- "New Scientist"

New English (29 September)

New terms leaking into the lingo ...

• 'Thud Factor' - A characteristic of a book or magazine that measures its relative weight by the 'thud' it makes when you drop it on a desk or table. ("Careful you don't squash the cat when you put that 'Cosmo' down. With all those ads, it's got a thud factor of like 9-and-a-half.")
• 'Glass Cliff ' - Women who smash through the so-called 'glass ceiling' are increasingly facing a new form of discrimination ... when they are finally offered a top job, it tends to be with a failing company. They're left teetering on a 'glass cliff' after being handed a 'poison chalice job'.
• 'Hyperparenting' - A current child-rearing style in which parents are intensely involved in managing, scheduling, and enriching all aspects of their children's lives. ("I don't KNOW if you can play on the swings, Amanda ... check your DayTimer!")

Model Behaviour (29 September)

In order to keep her $3-million modeling deal with Victoria's Secret, Heidi Klum had to get back to her normal weight within a month after giving birth - and she did it (don't you just hate her?) . Meanwhile, Mick Jagger's 20-year-old model daughter Elizabeth has been warned she'll lose her $900,000 modeling contract with cosmetics giant Lancome unless she GAINS weight, an ultimatum reportedly issued after her shocking skeletal appearance at London's "Fashion Week".
- "Sun"/"Daily Mirror"

Turning Over An Old Leaf (29 September)

Florida International University biologists have discovered that autumn leaves seem to turn colour in a crazed metamorphosis to better absorb ultraviolet rays and remain alive a little longer. The biologists believe trees purposefully produce the colours as a last gasp attempt to keep the leaves attached.
- "Globe & Mail"

Over The Moon (29 September)

Virgin Atlantic honcho Richard Branson has announced plans to boldly go where no airline company has gone before - outer space. Starting in 2007, passengers able to shell out $200,000 per ticket will soar for 3 hours through the stratosphere aboard a Virgin Galactic spacecraft. Branson says once they're 80 miles above Earth's surface, passengers will get to experience several minutes of zero gravity, enjoy spectacular views and possibly ... a gin-and-tonic.
- "Daily News"

Amazing Fact (28 September)

There are an estimated 100 million AK-47 assault rifles in existence - 1 for every 60 people in the world. Now the weapon's 84-year-old Russian inventor, Mikhail Kalashnikov, has been persuaded by a UK entrepreneur to endorse a new brand of booze - 'AK-47 Vodka'.

They Did It (27 September)

43-year-old self-employed inventor Andrew Wilson of Branson, Missouri man has legally changed his name to - 'They', as in "That's what THEY say". It's just 'They', no surname. He has also changed his driver's license to reflect his new name. Why? He says 'They' are always to blame for so many things, somebody has to take responsibility.
- "Daily News"

It's A Wack World (27 September)

• A 25-year-old driver from Baie-Comeau QC has been killed near Québec City - while having sex behind the wheel with a female passenger. He was apparently killed on impact when hit by an approaching vehicle head-on ... so to speak.
• Ireland is considering a tax on - chewing gum. It would fund the cost of cleaning up wads of it off streets and sidewalks, which accounts for about 30% of the country's total litter.
• Claudia Milena Galan has won the "Miss Congeniality Pageant" - at the Buen Pastor Women's Prison in Colombia. The 24-year-old natural blonde, who's doing time for aggravated theft, beat out 6 other finalists, including a female contract assassin.
• A Japanese inventor claims he'd developed cell phone ring tones that - increase the breast-size of women who listen to them. One user claims they increased her bust size by 2 cm (.78 in) in just a single week.
• You've heard of bomb-sniffing dogs. But cancer-sniffing dogs? It turns out that canine olfactory senses are acute enough to detect cancerous cells. Researchers in London UK have found that canines can be trained to detect bladder cancer by smelling a person's urine.

Dear E-John (24 September)

It used to be when you wanted to brush off unwanted advances in a bar or club you'd hand the obnoxious guy a napkin with the wrong phone number on it and tell him to call you. Now, you can give him an e-mail address from PaperNapkin.net. When the annoying guy e-mails, he'll automatically get a 'Dear John' reply that says "If you got this e-mail address, it wasn't an accident … you've definitely been rejected." You can use any name you want followed by @PaperNapkin.net and it'll work automatically.
For more info check out the PaperNapkin.net website.

Wide World Of Noos (24 September)

• A woman has been killed in a small town in southern Italy by a 7-ft metal crucifix accidentally falling on her head.
• A grocer in India, sick of his 30-year-old wife's whining about his paltry pay, has allegedly used a kitchen cleaver to chop off her tongue.
• Avant garde Seattle artist Amy Ellen Trefsger has married herself - or at least her creative personality whom she names 'Flat-Chested-Mama' - by saying 'I do' to her own reflection in a mirror. In a bow to tradition, her father gave her away.
  For more info check out the Flat-Chested-Mama website.
• A Belgian woman first realized something must be really wrong when her husband noticed a piece of wire - sticking out of her neck! A subsequent medical examination showed she needed an immediate operation to remove nearly 15 inches of surgical wire mistakenly left in her stomach during a previous procedure!

One-Hit Wonder Day (24 September)

Saturday is "One-Hit Wonder Day", originally sponsored by "One Shot Magazine" to honor musicians who made it big only once before fading into obscurity. There's nothing like a one-hit wonder to zap some spice into the daily bland regimen of tight-rotation playlists. For an artist & title list, try these sites ...
For more info check out the DogPound.biz website.
For more info check out the VH1 website.

Spinach-Powered PCs (23 September)

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found that spinach is so rich a source of energy that it could actually be used to power cellphones and computers. The researchers say that in the future, electronics may be covered in a spinach-based material that would get energy from sunlight through photosynthesis. The process would enable them to actually recharge themselves.
- "Boston Globe"

New English 101 (22 September)

• 'P Diddys' - The new nickname for 'per diems', the per day expense allowances offered as incentives in the entertainment industry to celebs who are already well paid. ("The Diddys on this job are downright stingy.")
• 'Slutwear' - The low-riding jeans and navel-baring tops that are quickly going out-of-fashion. In fact, almost all the duds in fashion shows exhibiting designs for next spring feature a more demure covered-up look.
• 'Sleep Eaters' - People who get up and eat in the middle of the night when they are neither hungry nor fully awake. Most prefer carbs and sugars. In fact, doctors say they've never heard of a sleep eater making a beeline for salad in the middle of the night. Surprisingly, sleep eaters are no more likely to be obese than anyone else.
• 'Alphanumerics' - The increasingly complicated series of numbers and letters used to name luxury car models, ie: the Lexus LS 430, the Cadillac SRX SUV, and the BMW 325Xi.

A Real Man's Vehicle (22 September)

There's a new vehicle on the market that makes the Hummer look like a girlie-man car. Navistar International has introduced the 5-passenger 'CXT', the world's biggest production pickup, a 14,500-lb behemoth capable of towing 20 tons. It's 9-ft-tall, 8-ft-wide, 21.5-ft-long and gets about 7 mpg on diesel fuel (the reason for the 70-gallon fuel tank). The CXT dwarfs full-size SUVs and weighs about twice as much as a Ford F-350 Super Duty pickup. The price is also big - $93,000, but options can boost that to $115,000. The company says the monster truck is for businesses that want to make a bold statement.
- MSN Money/CNBC Business News

Pros & Cons (22 September)

A new golf course in Angola, Louisiana was built and is being maintained by - prisoners. The fairways were graded and seeded by hand; the sand pits dug by convicts using shovels; the tees are marked with handcuffs. The first tee overlooks the maximum-security Louisiana State Penitentiary, giving the course its name - 'Prison View'. Prisoners cannot play, but a few inmates have earned the privilege of tending the greens. The prison warden says the 2-year course construction gave inmates a sense of accomplishment and taught them useful skills.
- "NY Times"

Melt Away Your Fat (21 September)

Sharp Corp has introduced a microwave oven, so far called the 'AX-HC1', that uses superheated steam to melt fat from food. The oven's combination of convection heat and condensation heat makes fats liquefy and flow out of foods, purportedly removing an extra 13% of the total fat content. The oven is currently only available in Japan, but is expected to make its way to the North American market soon.
- "NY Times"

DUI Message Goes Down The Toilet (21 September)

Pubs across New Zealand have a new weapon in the war on drunk driving. New heat-activated signs in urinals display a message when hit by ... well, er ... warm liquid. The signs read either: "If You Drink But Don't Drive, You're a Bloody Legend" (with a picture of a taxi) or: "If You Drink Then Drive, You're a Bloody Idiot" (with a picture of a wrecked car). The message disappears when the sign cools down, ready to be re-activated by the next user. The campaign is being run by NZ's Land Transport Safety Authority under the slogan: "Which Car Will You Piss Off in Tonight?".
- "New Zealand Herald"

It's A Weird World (21 September)

• 12 hunky men have been selected to grace the pages of a soon-to-publish calendar. That's not unusual, but the calendar is - it's the "Nebraska Men in Nursing 2005 Calendar".
• A court in Shenzhen, China has fined a couple close to $100,000 and sealed off their house for violating the stringent family planning law that restricts couples to only one child.
• A London UK woman who asked mechanics to check a strange sound coming from her car probably wishes she hadn't - it turned out to be the sound of her buzzing vibrator in her suitcase stowed in the trunk.
• The principal of Jean-Nicolet High School in Becancour, Québec says at least 20 of his students are regularly missing classes in order to earn up to $30-an-hour harvesting marijuana at illegal plantations hidden in local cornfields.

Beer's As Good As Wine (20 September)

A new study reveals that beer can be as good as red wine when it comes to fighting off cancer and heart disease. However, professor John Trevithick, who led the study of the University of Western Ontario, cautions that a limit of up to 3 pints a day is good for you, with any more increasing the risk of disease. Beer contains antioxidants that are believed to help prevent the spread of cancer and lower blood cholesterol.
- ANI

Take This Job & Shove It (20 September)

British author Dan Kieran has compiled stories about really rotten occupations for his upcoming book "Idler Book of Crap Jobs". Among the worst ... 'turkey-beheader', 'pea checker', 'maggot farmer', and 'phone sex operator'.
- "Social Studies"

Thrill-Seekers Young & Old (20 September)

Young people (under 45) born between October and March are more likely to seek out adventurous thrills than people born between April and September, according to a study from researchers at the UK's Open University. The opposite is true for older people over 45. While fall and winter babies become less adventurous as they age, spring and summer babies become more so. Lead researcher Dr Carol Joinson thinks the effects of sunlight exposure on the chemicals in the brain - which would be different based on the season in which we are born - could affect our behaviour. In addition, as we age, the brain chemical balance changes, which could explain the shift in thrill-seeking behaviour.
- "Journal of the British Psychological Society"

Mattel Morphs Motorcar (17 September)

Mattel Corp is all fired up about the toy designed by the winning team on the season premiere of NBC-TV's "The Apprentice". The prototype remote-control car that the apprentices called 'Meta Morphor' has been renamed 'Morph Machines'. The real deal will be a slightly modified, somewhat sleeker version of the prototype on the show. 'Morph Machines' under the brand name Tyco will be in stores early next year for around $30.
- "USA Today"

Wide World Of Noos (16 September)

• Cuban rancher Raul Hernandez has cows that look like any other breed - except they're no bigger than dogs. Standing 28 inches tall or less, the 'mini-cows' can be kept in a small area but still deliver up to 5 liters (5.3 quarts) of milk. He started with a tiny bull on his Santa Isabel Farm, 125 miles west of Havana. After breeding it with several generations of the smallest cows he could find, he now has a herd that reaches no higher than his waist.
• Debt collectors in India are using transvestite eunuchs to frighten borrowers into paying up. Known as 'hijiras', they approach debtors in public places and threaten to raise their saris, exposing themselves.
• A 13-year-old female chimp at the Zhengzhou Zoo in China has slipped into depression after her much older mate became unable to meet her sexual needs. Zookeepers tried to find a younger partner but 'Feili' has rejected all suitors. Instead, she's taken up smoking, bumming cigarettes off zoo visitors. And if she doesn't get what she wants - she spits on people.
• A Mexican couple has been arrested and charged with engaging in a lewd act in public after being caught doing the nasty - in a glass-walled ATM booth.

New English 101 (15 September)

• 'Modern Jewish Rock' - It hasn't yet developed the fan base of Christian Rock, but the "LA Times" says there's a growing segment of artists in the genre including Dan Nichols & Eighteen and the Rick Recht Band.
• 'Malware' - Software that hijacks a browser by getting e-mail recipients to open a file infected with a virus, worm or Trojan horse. Recently, unsuspecting people have been fooled into downloading a file that purportedly contains Arnold Schwarzenegger's suicide note.

Home.Com (15 September)

Are you one of those people who always has a nagging feeling that you forgot to lock the door or turn the lights off after you've left your house? Well, now you don't need to worry anymore as a new device will help you perform all these functions from your car, while you're driving! The gizmo, which was unveiled at the 'Future Life House Project' in London recently, uses a dashboard Internet connection to link up with live Webcams in the home.
- "Sun"

Scientists Say (15 September)

A compendium of recent 'discoveries' -

• Scientists say . . . kids have less 'free time' than ever. A recent University of Michigan study finds it's decreased by 16% in a single generation, from 63 hours a week to 51.
• Scientists say . . . love at first sight truly exists! Recent research that paired up scores of strangers has determined that most people decide what kind of relationship they want within minutes of meeting someone.
• Scientists say . . . women tend to like men with somewhat feminine features.
• Scientists say . . . our right and left ears process sound differently. A UCLA study of the hearing of babies finds the right ear is better at picking up speech-like sounds and the left ear is more attuned to music.

WWW May Collapse (14 September)

Intel and other computer industry companies are warning that the Internet will eventually become so overloaded it will break down. At Intel's recent technical conference, CTO Patrick Gelsinger suggested the collapse will begin as millions of new computer users from developing nations sign on. In order to circumvent the Web's architectural limitations, Intel is advocating that a new network be built overtop the current Internet, that would monitor and direct traffic and better fight security threats or traffic surges.
- "Forbes" magazine.

Mmm, Tastes Fat (13 September)

Each of the tiny bumps on your tongue contains 250 taste buds. As well as taste buds for 'sweet', 'salty', 'sour' and 'bitter', scientists now think we may have a taste bud for 'fat'. This may explain why fat substitutes don't seem to provide the same satisfaction as the real thing.
- "Washington Post"

How To Keep Sheep Happy (13 September)

Researchers in the UK have discovered that lonely sheep can be made happier by showing them pictures of their friends & family. In a study carried out at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, stress levels in sheep were monitored while they were kept in a darkened barn and shown various pictures. According to researchers, sheep became noticeably less stressed and showed fewer signs of agitation when they were shown photos of the faces of familiar sheep.
- "London Telegraph"

You Can't Make This Stuff Up (10 September)

• Inmates at Grafton Maximum Security Prison in New South Wales, Australia have been caught breeding deadly Redback Spiders, whose poison can be fatal. Why? They were milking them for venom which they then injected to get high.
• A groom in Sheffield UK had to do some quick thinking after his prankster pals shaved his eyebrows off during his bachelor party. The next day he showed up at the wedding with bits of black sock glued over each eye.
• Wind from Hurricane Frances that was purportedly captured in Florida and sealed in Tupperware containers has been attracting bids up to 10 bucks on eBay.
• Seven people attending a self-help seminar with the motto, "If You Can Walk Over Hot Coals You Can Do Anything" are now recuperating at a Rohrbach, Austria hospital with severe burns from sauntering along a 32-foot bed of glowing embers. Uh, the slogan has been retired.

Living Latin (9 September)

In the interest of keeping up with the times, the Vatican has put together a new listing of Latin interpretations for modern-day words that includes ...

• Babysitter ... Infantaria
• Basketball ... Follis Canistrique Ludus
• Cigarette ... Fistula Nicotiana
• Computer ... Instrumentum Computatorium
• Nylon ... Materica Plastica Nailonensis
• Terrorist ... Tromocrates

Here Comes The Sun (9 September)

Today the spacecraft 'Genesis' is scheduled to return to Earth with samples of solar wind that it collected during one of NASA's most ambitious projects. Scientists believe that the solar wind samples will not only provide vital information on the composition of the Sun but also shed light on the origins of our Solar System.
- ANI

Reasons To Drink More Water (9 September)

Water seems to taste best when you're incredibly thirsty, but there are other good reasons to drink more. The outstanding health benefits include ...

• It prevents bad breath by washing away odor-causing particles and bacteria.
• It prevents or reduces heartburn.
• It prevents urinary tract infections by lowering bacterial count.
• It flushes out toxins and decreases risk of colon cancer.
• It helps prevent headaches.
• It helps you to lose weight.
• It aids digestion.
• Some studies show it could reduce heart attacks.
• It boosts your immune system and helps fight off colds.
• It wards off daytime fatigue.
• It helps prevent back & joint pain.

"The Horn Dance" (9 September)

Today one of Britain's longest-standing rural traditions, "The Horn Dance", takes place in the village of Abbots Bromley. Participants perform a ritualistic dance to traditional music along a 10-mile route, taking in farms and pubs around the village. Some don antlers to become 'deer-men', and there's also a costumed 'fool', 'hobby horse', 'bowman' and a 'Maid Marion'. The tradition goes back to 1226, and now attracts visitors from around-the-world.

Buzzwords (8 September)

New terms creeping into our lingo ...

• 'Mantlepiecing' - Surreptitiously placing framed photos of oneself alongside the famous faces on the mantlepiece, piano, etc while attending house parties. Said to have been invented by self-aggrandizing Hollywood producer Jon Peters.
• 'Phonality Show' - A phony TV reality show. It may be unscripted, but it's manipulated by the producers to ensure the right outcome.
• 'Google Politics' - To make a thousand accusations, none of which are substantiated.

Sleeping On The Job (8 September)

A new UK study finds that over 30% of us come up with our best ideas - when we're about to nod off! Just 10% of respondents say they're hit by flashes of inspiration while on-the-job. University of Hertfordshire psychologist Richard Wiseman says the results show that our minds are at their most creative when we're relaxed and free from everyday pressures. Researchers recommend employers offer a designated 'creativity room' for brainstorming sessions. When tackling a problem, employees should take regular breaks so they can revisit the issue with a fresh mind.
- "The Guardian"

Hot For Teacher (8 September)

Lots of teenage boys fantasize about a teacher. Now author Jim Hastleberry has put together the how-to manual, "Nailing Miss Crabtree: How to Become a Real Teacher's Pet", intended to help high school seniors over 18 years of age fulfill their dream. Among his top tips ...

• Choose a hot-to-trot target. A teacher who always shows off in micro-miniskirts craves more male attention than she's getting at home.
• If you want 'Miss Hottie' to notice you, sit in the front row so she can feel your eyes on her whenever she erases the blackboard.
• Make eye contact. No matter how boring the words coming out of her mouth during a lecture, behave like you're entranced.
• Take a dive on a test. It may break your heart to deliberately flunk a test, but that 'F' can earn you some one-on-one after-school tutoring.
• Bring her a gift. It can be as cheap as a container of Pez, but she'll appreciate the gesture.
• Ask about her home life after class, then pretend to listen as she unloads about adult problems and hopefully, marital woes. Nod sympathetically.
• Hit her up for a 'cultural' date. Notice a subject she won't stop talking about, such as art, then ask her to accompany you on an innocent outing to a museum.
• Offer to pay, even if it's only for an ice cream cone. That signals that you're ready to be 'the man' in a relationship.

The Dracula Diet (7 September)

Russian scientists Ludmilla Antipova & Alexei Nikolaichik of Voronezh State Academy have figured out a way to make yummy treats out of - blood. They began experimenting with recipes a decade ago when they discovered a local meat-packer was discarding up to 7 tons of blood per day. Realizing they were sitting on a goldmine, they began turning the blood into a variety of products including chocolate cookie filling, a coffee substitute and yoghurt drinks. They claim blood-based foods taste just as good as the real thing and are up to 5 times cheaper to manufacture than dairy products. Blood contains virtually no fat and is loaded with iron and protein.
- "London Telegraph"

A Computer That Reads Your Mind (7 September)

A team of researchers at Singapore's Institute for Infocomm Research have developed a new brain-to-computer interface that keyboards by tapping your brain power. The mind-reader uses electronic headgear to interpret changes in the user's eyes. With practice, a user can merely think about letters and the computer will print them on the screen. But don't expect to be pondering your way through work anytime soon. The inventors say using the electronic gizmo for just 5 minutes can cause eyes to water and prolonged use can prove exhausting.
- "Straits Times"

Fall Fashion (3 September)

For Japanese schoolgirls, the school uniform has become a trendy fashion statement. Since the early '80s, school uniforms, especially those of private schools, have been remodelled to become more attractive. Also around that time, uniforms became less associated with school rules and students began to see them as a kind of brand. Nowadays, some Japanese girls even seek to attend specific schools just for the uniforms.
- "Japan Times"

Alcohol Repairs Hearts (3 September)

While it's become widely accepted that red wine helps to keep the heart healthy, researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have now found that alcohol in moderation can also reduce the damage following a heart attack. Here comes the science: alcohol seems to help in the production of an adhesive which makes artery walls sticky so that white blood cells attach themselves to it. That's a good thing.
- Asian News International

The Fall Of Spiders (3 September)

Seen a lot of creepy crawlers around the house lately? That's because female spiders fatten up toward the end of summer as they prepare to lay eggs, anywhere from 50 to 1,000 each. Some females can double in size, making them much easier to spot. What's really creepy is they were there all along ... you just don't notice them when they were small and rolled up in a ball. The rule of thumb, according to entomologists, is no one anywhere is ever more than one meter (3.3 feet) away from a spider.
- "Globe & Mail"

Weird World Of Noos (3 September)

• Police in Latvia are trying to determine what charges to bring against a drunken horse & buggy driver who caused a drunken motorist to crash into a ditch, flipping his car. Only motor vehicles and bicycles are covered under the country's drunk-driving laws. A police officer on the scene said the horse, at least, appeared to be sober.
• A German company has created eyeglasses, which can double as - chopsticks. The earpieces on the $300 stainless steel frames detach for dining use. They can also be ordered in fork form.
• Joe & Pat Posey of Maryland have been raising a 'Cabbage Patch' doll as their own son - for 19 years. Little 'Kevin' has his own room, a red Corvette, and is now being sent to university. The couple's real-life daughter Vicky admits to some jealousy saying, "He's got a dog. I never got a dog!"

Musical Brands (2 September)

Brand names of products are increasingly finding their way into hip-hop and pop songs. San Francisco marketing firm Agenda Inc calculates that 59 different brand names have been used a total of 645 times in songs that made "Billboard" magazine's 'Top 20' so far this year. The top mentioned brand is Hennessy cognac, mentioned 47 times, just ahead of Cadillac with 44 mentions.
- "Newsday"

Dinner Sounds (2 September)

Heston Blumenthal, owner and head chef of the Fat Duck restaurant in Berkshire UK, claims that hearing has become the forgotten sense in eating. "If you bite into an apple or a carrot you want to hear the crunch," he says. That's why he's developed a sound system with headphones and microphone for his customers, which will pick up every chomp and slurp. Blumenthal also thinks it might be interesting to hear the sounds of other people eating.
- "Times of London"

Buzzwords (1 September)

New terms leaking into the lingo ...

• 'Wrist Cuffs' - Terrycloth wristbands that serve no purpose other than being stylish. For a more urban look, some kids are chopping the tops of tube socks to form home-made cuffs.
• 'Office Creepers' - Daylight thieves who are usually neatly dressed and have the brass to walk right into workplaces during office hours looking for pricey laptops or handbags to boost.
• 'Preso' - Shorthand for 'presentation', usually done in PowerPoint.
• 'Eye Jewellery' - Tiny pieces of platinum or gold surgically implanted behind the clear skin in the white part of the eye. So far, only about 50 people worldwide have had the procedure, invented by a Dutch surgeon.

Healthy Chocolate (1 September)

New research reveals that dark chocolate can reduce the risk of heart attack. A new study by Greece's Athens Medical School suggests that consuming 100 grams of good quality dark chocolate improves the function of cells that line veins and arteries for up to 3 hours afterward. Researchers say chocolate's healthful qualities may explain why cacao was viewed as magical and mystical in ancient cultures.
- "London Telegraph"

No E-Mail Fridays (1 September)

Veritas Software in California's Silicon Valley has started something that may catch on - 'No E-mail Fridays'. About 2 months ago, the company's worldwide marketing boss decreed that Fridays in his department would be e-mail free. If employees need to get a message to someone, they must phone or speak in person. Why? Marketing VP Jeremy Burton says e-mail is supposed to be a productivity tool but has gotten way out of control. Now, at least for one day a week, employees must either phone or walk 'n talk. Ironically, the new policy was outlined via e-mail.
- "Wall Street Journal"

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